


Ruining Factor

by Voyaelm



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Anxiety, Flashbacks, Fuck Sazed (The Adventure Zone), Good siblings helping siblings, M/M, Post-Canon, Talking out your feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2019-04-20 08:12:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14256705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Voyaelm/pseuds/Voyaelm
Summary: Taako has to deal with the after effects of Glamour Springs many years later. Kravitz calls Lup. Lup is a good twin.





	Ruining Factor

**Author's Note:**

> This is little thing is pretty dialogue heavy so if that’s not your bag, there are many other really good fics on here that may fit you a bit better! It also has a few adult themes? I guess?? This prompt was so good and I really liked the idea! So, I immediately got to it!

He's in the middle of cooking when it happens because _of course he is_. The flashbacks never seem to happen at a convenient time. He's not even sure why he's having one right now; he's not cooking chicken. Hell, he isn’t really cooking. He’s just stirring a giant pot of stew. And the Gods must really fucking hate him because Kravitz is there with him.

The spoon he's holding in his hand falls into the pot, quickly being covered. It makes a loud enough clatter that Kravitz looks over from where he's chopping potatoes.

“Taako?” He calls out, laying the knife on the cutting board and taking off his apron. Taako’s hands clutch at the edge of the stove enough so his knuckles turn white. 

He shivers when Kravitz's stands beside him. “What, my man?” 

“You dropped your spoon, love.”  Taako doesn’t say anything more, but what he does do is fall to his butt on the kitchen floor and pull his knees to his chest. He hears a click of the gas stove being turned off, presumably to keep from burning the stuff in the stew. Damn Kravitz for thinking of that; Taako would’ve let it burn. Kravitz doesn’t lean down to try to console him, which Taako doesn’t know if that’s bad or good, he doesn’t touch him. He just asks,

“Taako, do you need me to get someone, or would you like to be alone?” Not alone. Not again. _Never_  again. 

He slowly nods his head, and if Kravitz’s passive perception was lower, he wouldn't have seen it. But a nod wouldn’t cut it. It doesn’t make sense to answer a question like that with a yes or a no.

“Get Lup.” Taako says, voice clipped off in order to hold back tears. He really doesn't want to cry in front of Kravitz. Too early in their relationship to make him deal with that. (He knows it’s not but that’s what his fucking brain is telling him. Fuck off, brain.) 

Taako hears the ripping of a right opening and Kravitz talking to Lup. A few seconds later, it closes and Lup’s arms curl around him.

She doesn’t say anything to him and he's grateful. Taako knows she's gonna ask him about it, but for now it's quiet. Taako does quiet. He holds her back, arms crossing between her shoulder blades. 

“What's going on Taako?” 

“Just a flashback, Lulu. I'll make it.” Lup scoffs gently, absolutely not believing him. And why would she? She knows him better than every person he's ever met combined. 

“Glamour Springs?” He goes rigid and that pretty much gives him away.

“How much do you know about it? No, wait, fuck. How do you _know_ about that?” He's shaking right now. He's afraid of Lup knowing about this. About his show. He doesn't know why. This is his _sister_  he’s talking about. He shouldn’t be afraid to tell her anything. 

“I was the vore umbrella for a while. I saw some of what you saw with the Chalice, but that's it.”

“Story time then,” he says with a bit of hysterics. She let's go of him so he can start talking, sitting about a foot away. 

“Only if you want to.” Lup reaches to his hand and takes it in hers. “Maybe the short version. It'll help if you don't wanna talk about it.” She prompts.

“Fine, fuck it, sure.” He flicks his braid over his shoulder and looks at the floor. 

“I had a assistant. Sazed. He helped me out on the show, Sizzle it Up, prepping stuff, driving the cart, and basically being a bodyguard.” 

“Just an assistant?”

“Lup. I _really_  don't want to talk about that.” Taako looks at her and her eyes are saucers, filled with surprise and pain.

“Okay, well -- fuck I'm sorry, babe.” 

“It's,” he sighs “it's fine.” He continues on with the story. Of Sazed slowly getting more and more pushy, asking for more roles in the show, having the _gall_  to ask for a 50/50 split. Of blood and vomit and death when he didn't get his way. The drive away and his broken mind. Of Sazed leaving despite the abuse because he was a murder. 

“You did nothing.”

“Lup, _I_  fed them their deaths. Regardless of the poison. I was so fucking vain that I didn't taste it. ” 

“You didn’t know.” Her voice is small, like she’s trying not to scare him. Taako hates it. He squeezes her hand a bit tighter and she looks up. “Are you afraid of something like that happening again? You willingly giving people things you’ve made?” 

“Yeah. I, mean. Not _everyone_. I don't give a fuck about the rest of these fucking clowns, but I care about you and I will NOT be the one responsible for your death.”

“Taako.” 

“Like, I mean, I _know_  it wasn't me but damn if that doesn't fuck up a dude's head. 40 people fucking died in front if me.”

“Taako.” She says a bit more forceful, which makes Taako shut up. “Babe, my brother, my heart, I can't really die?” He tilts his head to the side slightly, as if confused. “Lich, remember. If something like that happens -- which it _won’t_  -- I can just get a new body. Your boyfriend won’t like it, but fuck him then.”

“I guess so.” He drops his forehead to her shoulder; her free hand wraps around his shoulders and she moves her cheek to the top of his head. It’s a bit uncomfortable in the physical sense since they’re on the floor, but it’s comforting in the mental and emotional sense. 

“Also, you're lying. You care about everyone. Even Angus.” 

“Lies and slander.” He wipes a hand across his eye, smearing the makeup there with the wetness of tears. 

“Even Lucretia.” Taako stays completely silent. He wraps a finger around one of Lup's loose curls to busy himself until she changes the subject. “Even Lucretia.”  She presses. He lays his head on her shoulder and sighs quietly.

“...yeah.” But, she was the only person he'd admit that to. 

Lucretia would definitely hear about it somehow cause Lup’s a fucking nark.

“And I know we don't have the most competent cleric but other people know simple healing spells.”

“You've got your salt shaker, and a bomb ass sister to check your ingredients. You have a family that loves you. _We_  have a family, Taako.” Taako knows -- even if it is a very simple observation -- that her saying that means a lot to her as well as him. She's comforting the both of them. He buries his face deeper into her shoulder and hair, a sappy smile on his lips. “And nothing, nothing bad will happen to them. Ever.” 

“You won’t let it.”

“Nope, and neither will Kravitz, or Barry, or Mags, or _anyone_.” Lup’s hand starts to move in little circles around his back. “Taako, I was going to fight a literal goddess if she tried to take me from you.”

“I’d pay to see that fight.”

“Who wouldn’t.” Taako’s happy the spotlight subject doesn’t involve him. He has a sneaking suspicion that that was her goal. The distraction route always work after he tells her what she asks him for. “Okay, so now we got a bit of a dilemma.”

“Oh, what’s that.”

“People are gonna be here in an hour, we still got dinner to make, and your makeup’s all gross.” He can't see himself but he can imagine it. His eyeliner is probably gone on his eyes, or heavily smeared around. “Tell ya what, you go fix yourself up. I'll tell Kravitz to come back and get him to help me with dinner.” 

Trying to get off the floor after sitting for 20 minutes is a struggle. Taako's legs are cramping and he has to grab the counter for balance. Lup gives him a big hug, shoos him to the bathroom, and pulls out her Stone of Farspeech. Before he closes the door, he hears Kravitz’s relieved voice.

_Everything’s gonna be okay_. he tells himself as he walks up to the mirror.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you have a prompt idea, please leave it below in the comments.


End file.
